


Teach Me How to Love

by RandomMeanie



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Cross-Posted on AFF, M/M, Not Beta Read, Past Abuse, Slow Build, Student!Mingyu, at least i think it will be, do you see where i'm going with this - Freeform, fighter!mingyu, fighter!wonwoo, have faith in me, i assure you this isnt going to be a creepy student/teacher fic, kinda like a fight club au too, look out for the tension, teacher!wonwoo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-18 12:36:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13100259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomMeanie/pseuds/RandomMeanie
Summary: When 18-year-old Kim Mingyu is caught for underground fighting, he doesn't know what to expect. Having left school and an abusive, loveless household at 15, he was left to fend for himself. Now, forced to go back to high school to finish up his senior year, many things are coming his way.Like the fact that a certain person with the name of Jeon Wonwoo, a fighter in the underground like him, goes to his school too.As his Mathematics teacher.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this from AFF (https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1184467) so you can go there to read as well if you'd like. Also I think that updates will be more faster from there since I always upload from there first).
> 
> I just needed a Meanie AU where both are equally strong characters.

**(Recent edit: I had changed the POV to third person POV...)**

Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he swung his fist in a right hook straight into the opponent's torso. Skillfully, he dodged the other's retaliation, using his outstretched arm as an advantage as he twisted it back, earning a groan from the opponent. However, the man soon broke free, managing to land a punch on his face. Despite the injury, he didn't let my guard down and fought back.

The fight ended up with the opponent on the ground, defeated. He wasn't dead. His body was slammed on the ground and was kept it there till a referee deemed it fit that the opponent lost.

The referee, who happened to be a friend by the name of Seungcheol, stepped into the makeshift fighting ring, grabbing the winner's hand and lifting it over their heads. "As expected, our winner, Kim Mingyu!" The crowd surrounding cheered. 

There were some people at the corners who gathered to pay their bet. Some had wide, satisfied smiles on their faces, while others looked dejected.

Either way, Seungcheol handed Mingyu an envelope. "For this week's win. If you continued this way, you'd be winning the finals for each week, you overgrown teenager." He chuckled, patting Mingyu on the head. 

"Thanks, Hyung," The younger grinned, tucking the envelope into his old, ragged bag. 

"It's no problem. I may have slipped some extra money in there for you. You know you can always come to me for help, right?" Seungcheol asked worriedly.

"Hyung, I've told you. I don't want to live off of you even though you're my friend. I'm going to find a proper job to earn money soon. I'll be fine." Mingyu offered him an assuring smile. 

"Whatever you say, Mingyu."

*

_The Underground._

That was the name of this place. A place where people come and fight while the onlookers placed their bets on who would win. 

Choi Seungcheol was the third son of multi-billionairre Choi Jinhyuk, Chairman of CP Enterprise, a well-known company with over 100 bases around the globe. His oldest brother, Choi Seunghyun, was the current CEO of the company. Seungcheol was only 20, and was still incompetent to join the business. So as of that moment, he had taken full advantage of his family's wealth to start an underground fighting rink. He had always loved watching wrestling matches and of the sorts, so what better way than to create one of his own?

Mingyu had come upon the place around two years ago, after he had ran away from home and wandered around the streets mindlessly. While he was walking past a bar, there were a few men talking about fighting for money, and that they were going there soon. Of course, money was an issue for the young boy at the time, so he followed them to the abandoned warehouse. He had thought that he could probably make some money there, since normal job employers didn't want to take in a fifteen-year-old boy who wouldn't say anything about his family background. Furthermore, back when Mingyu hadn't ran away, he had toughened himself up, so it could probably be an advantage for him.

He did that so as to lessen the blows from the abuse going on back then.

To him only, anyway.

It was there that Mingyu first met Seungcheol who was unexpectedly goofy despite his masculine appearance. They had both become good friends along the way and he had helped the younger during his most difficult times when he had no money. Mingyu was forever grateful for him and his generosity, and swore to pay him back once he found a job on my own.

*

Mingyu swung his bag across the room, letting it land near the mattress. Lying down, he ran his fingers across his sweaty hair and sighed tiredly.

This week had taken a toll on the boy. The men that he had fought were much tougher. His mind flashed towards the time when he had almost lost to a certain guy. This man had started frequenting The Underground just a few weeks ago, and was probably not much older than Mingyu. Despite seeing him from time to time, he had never conversed with anyone before. The fact that intrigued Mingyu, however, was that he did not look defeated or upset when he lost. It got him thinking if the people who went there to fight didn't want the money, but just wanted to vent their anger out.

It scared Mingyu, if he were to be honest. He knew he was putting himself at risk by fighting. There were people who had anger issues that would fuel them up even more to the point where even if they had won, they would not just stop throwing punches.

Mingyu would know that very well, for he knew that through experience.

He considered taking a break from fighting the following week, but knew that he was still short of money for the rent of his small rooftop house. It was due very soon. 

Each week, there could only be one winner in The Underground. On weekday nights, peopple who had joined would fight to get to the finals that would take place during the weekends. Since not everyone would win the small prize money, people had started bets instead. For these past three weeks, Mingyu had won consecutively, much to others' chagrin.

Together with the money Seungcheol had added into his prize winnings, Mingyu was able to afford proper meals and pay his last month's rents on time. However, he was now back to square one as he had gone for his monthly grocery trip, and was only left with a third of what he had. 

Despite being tired, he decided that he would fight for next week's round. He closed my eyes, letting the fatigue take over as he was pulled into a slumber.

 

 _"Please, spare me! I'm sorry, Dad. I'll do better for my next exam_ — _"_

_The sound of his face being slapped resounded across the room. The force was enough to whip the boy's head to the side. Tears rolled down his reddened cheeks as he kneeled at his dad's feet and begged him to give him a chance. A scoff could be heard._

_"Shut your damn mouth, you insolent child! I provided you a home and paid for your school, yet you can't even get an A? What a joke."_

_"_ _Spare me, Dad. Please give another chance. I'll do my best in the next one! I know I made a mistake. Please give me another chance..."_

 _The young boy looked towards his mom pleadingly. She shook her head._ _"Why can't you just be like your siblings? They're smart and even get good grades," she spoke menacingly._

 _He then fe_ _lt a kick towards his stomach and fell back. Grabbing him by his thin wrist, he pulled the boy roughly towards the basement. He thrashed around in his father's grasp, and then heard him call for the boy's brother. The grip around his wrists and arms were painful as they continued dragging him down to the dimly lit room._

_No, please don't._

_He was shoved on the cold, concrete ground, his head bumping on it painfully. Looking up, he watched with horror as his dad picked up his golf club he had kept there._

_The man, face laced with no other emotion but contempt, brought it up over his head and swung it down towards the boy's back_ —

Mingyu sat up with a start. Beads of perspiration trickled down his face. He shook my head.  _Just a bad dream._ _I'm no longer there._

He brought a shaky hand to his face, wiping down. Looking at the clock, Mingyu realised that it was already Monday morning. He got up and headed for the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day. 

Pulling on a plain black shirt with a pair of ripped jeans, he grabbed his bag and headed out, in search for job vacancies.

*

Biting into his $2 chicken burger, Mingyu sat at a nearby bench in the park. After hours of walking and entering shops with job signs like _**Salesperson Wanted**  _or  _ **Looking for a waiter**_ , he was still rejected each time. More often than not, the employers who interviewed would suddenly say that they apparently didn't need a waiter anymore, once they found out he had dropped out of highschool and wouldn't tell them anything about his home status.

It was getting absolutely frustrating, to the point where— for one millisecond— Mingyu had actually genuinely considered being a stripper. 

That wouldn't bode well for him.

He slumped on the bench, letting himself rest as he watched his surroundings. There were people exercising and jogging around, and some were walking or playing with their dogs. He eyed a family with young children having a picnic.

Mingyu wondered what that felt like. 

What would it feel like, having a picnic happily with his family, eating homemade sandwiches from his mom? What would it feel like, to run around in the park playing ball with his dad? What would it feel like, feeling loved?

Deciding that he shouldn't make himself depressed even more, he looked away. He stared mindlessly in front of him, chewing his burger, when the sight of someone familiar caught his attention. 

The man was jogging, wearing a black Adidas tracksuit. It made his appearance even dull, with his raven hair. His eyes were as emotionless as ever as he slowed down to a walk, taking a break at a bench

Which just so happened to be across from Mingyu.

Mingyu watched as the man took a swig of water from his bottle, calming his breathing. His hair was matted down on his forehead that made him look— dare he say it— really  _hot._ He might have been staring for too long, as the man suddenly looked towards him.

Wondering if the man recognised him, he offered a smile, waving. 

To which he continued staring.

It almost got Mingyu thinking that the man probably really didn't recognised him at all, or maybe he didn't want to deal with anyone, if it weren't for the fact that the man then responded with a curt nod. Mingyu took that as a chance to walk over, taking a seat next to him. The man scooted slightly away from Mingyu.

"Hey, you remembered me, don't you? We fought at The Underground once, and  _you know_ , I won," Mingyu started cheerfully.

The other leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. He acted as though the younger didn't just talk to him.

"I'm pretty sure you do remember me," Mingyu continued. "I mean, not to brag or anything, I did beat your ass badly—"

"What do you want?" He suddenly asked, and it was then Mingyu realised just how soothingly deep his voice was. It was the first time he had heard him talk. The man turned to him, sharp eyes piercing his. Mingyu  _almost_ lost his train of thoughts.

"Just wanted to say hi, since we kinda see each other often," the younger responded, blinking.

"Yeah, you've said your hello, now bye." He stood up quickly, but all of a sudden, he fell back on the bench as he brought a hand to his head.

In reflex, Mingyu'a hands suddenly shot out to steady the man by the shoulders. "Woah, are you okay?" 

He nodded wordlessly, shrugging off Mingyu's hands. Slowly, he stood back up.

"You were jogging when you're ill?" Mingyu asked in disbelief.

"Mind your own business, kid," he said, annoyed. With that, he walked off.

Mingyu shook his head, not bothering to retaliate.  _This rude asshole._

Looking at the time on his watch, he decided that he should just head for The Underground. It was almost time for first rounds to start. Disposing his burger wrapper, he set off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: First chapter is up! Mainly the intro and all. Please excuse me if my fighting vocabulary isn't wide. Also, the system in The Underground is kinda complicated in my brain so if you don't understand, it doesn't matter. Just know the final fight is on a weekend, and on weekday evening/nights, people just fight. 
> 
> Aaaaaand I'm pretty sure you all already know who this person at the end is, hmmmmm. 
> 
> There may or may not be a second chapter coming up very very very soon, since in AFF, I've uploaded till the 2nd chapter. (But already writing the 6th chapter ;) so updates will come evenly ) I have another completed meanie fic too so you can check that out if you want. I just love happy endings. 
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes as this isn't beta read. 
> 
> I hope everyone is okay and if you're not and you're reading fics to get your mind off things, then you do that. Because same.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit starts to happen, but it's where the story finally starts.

Mingyu walked the familiar path to get to the abandoned warehouse. In the sunset, the building almost looked creepy, especially with the run-down appearance. Taking the staircase to the next floor of the building, the noises and sounds of people chattering became louder. 

The sight of two men getting ready to brawl greeted him as he reached his destination. He walked over to Seungcheol who was standing next to the fighting ring. 

"Hey," his friend greeted. "Anything interesting happened today?"

"Nothing much, I just got rejected from job applications multiple times continuously today."

Seungcheol frowned. "Mingyu, I don't know how many times I should say this, but—"

"I just have to wait a little longer. There's bound to be someone willing to take me in," Mingyu interrupted before Seungcheol could go on another rant about how the younger should just ask him for help.

Seungcheol still seemed as though he wanted to keep arguing. However, Mingyu was distracted as his eyes found its way to the man who was now in a white shirt and blue trackpants. 

Mingyu pointed over to him. "Do you think he'll be able to fight?" He enquired Seungcheol. 

The older looked at him, then at Mingyu curiously. "I'm not sure, but he said he will. Why? You know anything about him?"

Mingyu looked away. "Nah, I just thought he looked unwell..." 

Seungcheol shrugged, and told him that he was going to start the next fight. The younger nodded and made his way a distance from the fighting ring, where there were only a few people standing around. He eyed two suspicious-looking guys, whispering and exchanging something. Not wanting to be involved in anything wrong, he ignored them.

From where he was standing, the man from before had his back to him. He still doubt if the man was okay. He shouldn't even care.

Soon, Seungcheol was calling Mingyu over to fight the next round, and just so happened to choose the man to be his opponent. Mingyu greeted him for the second time that day, smiling, albeit awkwardly. Like before, he simply ignored the greeting. 

As Seungcheol loudly announced that the fight had begun, Mingyu went into action. 

He started off simply by defending himself first, dodging fists and kicks. The man was throwing punches at a rapid speed which was impressive. A few managed to land on the younger's face and stomach, but he didn't let that deter himself. 

Just when Mingyu was about to start attacking, there was something that bothered him. 

The man's eyes had started to become unfocused, as he shook his head and got back into the fight, as though nothing was wrong with him. Mingyu had wanted to call off the fight, but as the man landed a powerful blow to his side, he decided to fight him back. 

Mingyu blocked off one of his outstretched hand and swiftly delivered a punch to his abdomen. He recoiled slightly, giving the other the chance to hit his face once before kicking him in the shin. 

He wasn't sure if his kick had been that strong, but the next thing he knew, the man was on the ground. Knowing something wasn't right, Mingyu kneeled down next to him, but he suddenly hooked a leg around his torso and threw the boy down. The man straddled him as he landed repeated punches to keep him down. Garnering his lower body strength, Mingyu managed to throw him off. 

As he was about to throw another punch, the sound of police sirens suddenly filled the air. He looked around, puzzled, seeing many people starting to run away. 

_What the hell is going on?_

"What's going on? Why are the police here?" He hearad Seungcheol ask someone running past, looking panicked.

"The police caught whiff of either illegal betting, or drug trafficking going on here. Whether we're involved or not, we're screwed if we get caught!"

"Shit!" Seungcheol cursed, running a hand through his hair. "This place was supposed to be safe. Those bastards..." He turned towards the remaining people who were still confused. "Everyone, I know of another way to get out of here, follow me!" He then turned to Mingyu, gesturing him to follow as well. 

Still in a daze, Mingyu quickly got off the ground to escape, when he realised the man he was fighting was still on the ground. His eyes were shut tightly, as though in pain. Looking back and forth towards the running Seungcheol and the man who was now in pain, Mingyu decided to help the latter.

"Dude, get up! The police are coming and we'll all be screwed if we get caught!" 

The sounds of the sirens wailing grew louder, and Mingyu knew he had to act fast. Grabbing the man by the arms, he slung them over his shoulders, carrying him up and on his broad back. With that, Mingyu mustered all the strength from his leg muscles to run towards the exit. 

They were already nearing the exit, when Mingyu had realised one important fact: He had left his bag.

Mingyu had forgotten to store away the money from the day before at home, which meant that his rent and money for food was still in that bag. A string of vulgarities spewed out of his mouth as he contemplated if he should go back and grab it, or just simply escape. The former would mean he could risk himself getting caught, while the latter would mean that although he escaped, he wouldn't have any money left.

As he reached the exit, he finally made up his mind. Dropping the man from his back, Mingyu slapped him once on the cheek and told him to run. The man did actually run, albeit with unsteady footsteps. Mingyu caught the man turning around once, looking at him with those same emotionless eyes, before continuing to run off. 

He turned on his heels and headed back to the fighting ring, running twice as fast as before. His heart was thumping in his chest, thinking of the implications if he got caught. 

A brown, old bag could be seen from across the floor, and Mingyu didn't hesitate to run towards it. 

However,  _just my luck._

"Hey, you! Stop right there!"

_Well, guess I'm screwed._

_*_

"Young man, I need you to tell me if you are still under your parents," the police officer pressed.

After being taken in, Mingyu had done his best to convince the police that he had nothing to do with the illegal betting nor drugs, and that the money in the envelope was just where he had kept my money. They were pretty much convinced, especially when the boy had told them that he knew some of those who were involved.

Currently, he was afraid to answer the question being asked. What if they called his family? Mingyu didn't want to go back to that poor excuse of a home. What use would there be if he told the police about the abuse? They wouldn't believe him. No one ever did. His dad was a conniving man who would act differently outside home. People basically loved him for the facade he always put on. It was disgusting. 

"Okay, son, I'm going to ask you nicely right now. I need you to tell me who is in charge of you or I'm going to just have to call your parents registered in our database."

That caught his attention. "Don't! Don't call them. I... I left home due to some reasons. You- You can call someone else to pick me up. My f-friend. He's like my brother..."

The police officer's shoulder relaxed. "Okay." He wrote some notes in his notebook. "Before I let you call your friend, I need you to know that you are still a minor up till next week. This means that I won't be forcing you to be under your family's care." He gave the boy a look, as if he knew something might be wrong. " _But,_ you know howthe government is strict on education. I'm going to refer you to a financial specialist that could help you with that. See her as soon as you are out, understand?"

Mingyu nodded, his shoulders relaxing as he received a piece of paper from him. Despite being caught in an unfavourable situation, this particular police officer had been nothing but kind. He was a middle-aged man, with greying hair and laugh lines at the corner of his eyes. 

After allowing him to use their telephone, Mingyu dialled Seungcheol's number he had memorised. The other had a panicked tone to his voice the moment Mingyu told him he was calling from the police station. He assured him that everything was fine and that he was innocent.

In ten minutes, Seungcheol arrived, signing some papers before the police could release Mingyu. Bowing his head gratefully towards the officer, he left with Seungcheol.

"Did you know how worried I was?" Seungcheol asked. "I turned around to look for you once I had escaped but I couldn't find you."

"Hyung," Mingyu interrupted his ranting, "I'm fine. The police were nice after finding out I'm just an innocent 17-year-old." He offered him an assuring smile. 

The older sighed. "Okay, as long as you're fine..."

"But what about your place though?" Mingyu asked. "The police are gonna think you were in this too..."

"My dad could handle it for me. Besides, it wasn't as if I  _actually_ did something wrong."

The younger remembered then that he had to call up the number the officer had referred him too. However, knowing Seungcheol, he would probably flip out and force Mingyu to allow him to pay his school fees if he knew that he had to enroll in one.

"Thanks, hyung," Mingyu said. "I'll be going now..." 

" _Yah,_ where are you going?"

"Hyung, it's late at night. I'm going home, obviously," He responded amusedly as he turned to head back home, waving goodbye to his companion.

As Mingyu walked home, he took out his handphone, dialling the number the officer had told him to call. Apparently, they worked for 24 hours, so he could still call them this late at night.

"Hello..."

Mingyu told the other on the line about his situation and how he was referred by the police. An appointment was made for the next day.

*

Mingyu stood in front of the large, rusty gates, his brown bag slung on his shoulder. This was the school the financial specialist had enrolled Mingyu to. Apparently, the school provided financial assistance to those in need. He tugged on his uncomfortable second-hand school uniform.

_Just when I thought I could get away without having to go to school._

Taking a deep breath, he entered the school premises, greeting a teacher who was standing at the entrance. 

" _Hey,_ you! Tuck in your shirt!" 

Mingyu looked confusedly at him for a second, before realising that he hadn't tucked in his school shirt. "Oh. Yes, sir." He swiftly tucked it in and continued walking.

As he moved past students, many had turned towards him, pointing and whispering. Of course, it was because this was the second month into the school year, and it wasn't normal for students to join in at this period. Ignoring them, he looked down, shoving his hands into his pockets as he weaved through the crowd of students to get to the staff room. 

A lady, dressed prim and proper, approached the boy. A name tag attached to her clothing indicated that she was the principal.

"Kim Mingyu? Follow me," she ordered. 

The said person tailed behind her into an office, where she took a seat at her desk and gestured for him to sit opposite from her. 

"I have heard a lot about you and have went through your previous school records. You seem to have been doing fairly well with your studies. So why did you quit?" she asked, folding her hand on the desk.

Mingyu played with his fingers, looking down. He had no ounce of confidence in front of a person of authority. 

"I left home two years ago because of some... family issues. Leaving my family meant my allowance had been cut off completely. And with all due respect, ma'am, my studies weren't that good in my previous school."

The principal stared at him in what look like disbelief, before she composed herself. "Well, Kim Mingyu. If you weren't doing that well, you wouldn't have been able to pass the third year entrance test." Before she could say anything, the door behind Mingyu opened. "Ah, yes, your homeroom teacher. He may be new and young but he's an excellent teacher. He'll take care of you. I hope you'll enjoy your time at Mansae Highschool, Mingyu." She stood up, shaking Mingyu's hand as though they had just done a business deal. 

Mingyu turned around to face his homeroom teacher.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Jeon Wonwoo, your homeroom and Maths... teacher." His eyes turned wide upon seeing Mingyu's familiar face. A similar expression mirrored on Mingyu's.

_Well shit, if it isn't mysterious man from The Underground. Jeon Wonwoo, huh?_

_***_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yay chapter 2~ The whole financial assistance thing is made up, I honestly don't know how most of the whole school system works tbh xP 
> 
> and yassss the actual start of the main story~~~~
> 
> What did you all think? :) Excuse me if there are grammatical or sentence structure errors, I don't really have much time to edit thoroughly :(
> 
> Happy holidays!  
> Again, this is cross-posted from AFF, so you can head there to read as well, cuz I'm trying to focus on posting there more, so updates here might be slower.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mingyu clears some things up with Wonwoo and meets new friends (Even though the author usually can't keep up with many characters but feels that Mingyu deserves friends in the story).

With a leg crossed over the other, Mingyu stared at the front of the classroom in interest, watching as  _Jeon Wonwoo--_ or rather  _Mr. Jeon--_  wrote down different equations on the whiteboard. 

He finally turned back around to face the class, his eyes fleeting to Mingyu's for a second before he looked away. "Okay, class, please memorise those that I had put an asterisk at side. These are the important formulas you would need to know in order to actually solve certain types of question. Kim Mingyu?"

Mingyu sat upright, not expecting to be called upon. He could feel all eyes on him. "Yes, um, Sir?"  _Sir._ Why did that sound so funny?

"Since you've only just joined us today, you might be a bit lost about which unit we're on. Feel free to ask me or your classmates any questions," Wonwoo spoke professionally.

It still seemed out of this world, that the man he had once fought in the Underground was his  _teacher._ It also got Mingyu thinking why would he be risking his job as a teacher to do those things that could ruin his reputation.

Mingyu nodded in response. "Okay." He turned to the boy next to him, but the other was quick to turn his head back towards the front.  _Well, okay, then. I guess I'm not asking you._

Looking back towards the front, Mingyu tried to recall anything that he had tried learning himself before coming here.  _Shit, how the heck do you solve this?_

Leaving school when he was fifteen wasn't the best decision, but it came as a price for leaving home altogether. Seungcheol used to help him study a bit, and for that, Mingyu was extremely grateful.

When the bell rang, he blew a breath of relief and slumped on his chair. The lesson took a lot of brain cells than expected. As he checked the timetable given to him, he realised that it was break time. He then looked up to see the students already huddled in their own cliques, ready to head down to the cafeteria. 

Packing his things quickly, Mingyu was ready to head out when Wonwoo called him to stay behind. He sighed exasperatedly. He'd been looking forward to the provided Lunch.

"May I help you, _Mr._ Jeon?" Mingyu asked sarcastically.

Wonwoo raised an eyebrow, leaning back against his office chair as he crossed his arms. "I would like if you didn't use that tone towards me, Mingyu," he reprimanded, eyeing the last student leaving the classroom. 

Once no one was in sight, he stood up and took a few steps closer to Mingyu, a threatening look in his gaze. "Look, _Mingyu_ , I hope you understand not to say a single thing about what I do after school."

Mingyu scoffed. " _Ah,_ and here I thought you were actually willing to risk your job to go to the Underground. But here you are begging for me not to out you."

Wonwoo ran a hand through his midnight hair, messing it up slightly. Mingyu couldn't help but notice once more just how handsome Wonwoo actually was. "Okay, look, I didn't want to be mean to you because you helped me back there when the police came, but I'd appreciate it if you'd tone down your sarcasm."

The boy sighed and shrugged. "That was nothing. You seemed to be at a disadvantage at the time, so I did what a normal person with conscience would do. As for you going to the Underground, I'll keep my mouth shut--  don't worry. Just do the same for me. Getting caught once is enough. I don't want to trouble Seungcheol anymore."

Wonwoo frowned. "Is Seungcheol your family?"

"He's like family, but not exactly my family, if you know what I mean. He's just a really great friend." 

"And your parents doesn't know what you do? I wouldn't have thought you'd be a senior in  _high school._ Not even college," he shook his head in disbelief.

"One, you're a _high school teacher,_  I wouldn't have thought you'd work as one before this too. And please don't assume things about me. Two, I'd rather not talk about my parents." Mingyu rolled his eyes. "Why am I even talking to you? I was going to go on my food hunt. Later." And with that, he left the room without turning back, leaving Wonwoo sighing and shaking his head. 

The moment Mingyu stepped into the cafeteria, he realised that it was packed. That included the long line of students queuing up with their metal trays. Accepting his fate, he got into line behind two boys who were fooling around. Mingyu frowned as one of them bumped into him, and the boy looked up to apologise, before recognition crossed his features. 

"Oh, it's you! You're Mingyu, right? The new student in our class?" He asked. His friend turned to look at him too.

"Yeah, it _is_ the new kid! Hey! I'm Soonyoung. This is Seokmin," he introduced. 

Mingyu attempted a small smile. "I see. Um, you already know me, so..."

Seokmin laughed. "Yeah. Anyway, if you don't have anyone to sit with, you can join our table," he offered. "I promise you that the others aren't as weird as us. 

The other rubbed he back of my head. He hadn't thought about where he would sit. "That'd be great. I'm still unfamiliar with everyone..." 

Once they finally reached towards the front, he took note of the food being served. There looked to be rice, pieces of meat, vegetables, and soup. He could live with that. At least he didn't have to worry about lunch now.

Seokmin tapped his shoulders. "If you want to know, the lunch menu is updated at the board there," he pointed towards the direction of a dirty orange notice board near the entrance. "They update it every week so we'll know what is being served each day."

Mingyu nodded in understanding, already deciding to check that out once he was done eating. It wouldn't hurt to know what he'll be eating each day.

"No one asked, but my favourite meal is gonna be served tomorrow. Black bean noodles!" Soonyoung spoke cheerily. 

"Everyone's favourite meal is black bean noodles, Soonyoung," Seokmin joked, and turned towards Mingyu. "What's your favourite dish? Maybe they'll serve it one of these days."

Mingyu thought about it. Throughout his childhood, he never had a decent meal where his mother actually prepared it for him with love. He was sure other children had that privilege. He'd heard people talk about how their favourite food was their mother's cooking. Thinking again, Mingyu decided that his favourite would have to be spicy rice cake, as it was one of the cheapest food he could get at stand up stores. Furthermore, it wasn't that he didn't like it. He actually  _did._ Who would turn down such spicy goodness anyway? It was his frequent meal, and his comfort food.

"Spicy rice cake? Or maybe just ramyeon," Mingyu responded thoughtfully.

"I see. I think they've served spicy rice cake before," Soonyoung said. 

"Well, can't wait for that to happen again I guess," the other said with as much enthusiasm.

After the trio had received their meal, Mingyu followed Soonyoung and Seokmin to a table where two other boys were already seated. Their eyes locked onto Mingyu as he set his tray down and remained standing.

Seokmin slung an arm over his shoulders. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Mingyu. He's the new guy from our class. Mingyu, these are our friends from the next class." He pointed towards a boy with brownish hair. "This is Hansol. He may look mixed to you-- because he is-- but I assure you he's practically fully Korean." He then gestured towards the other boy next to him. "This is Minghao. He's Chinese, but he moved here a few years ago and not only mastered Korean, but he's also learning English now."

The two boys greeted him with smiles, making Mingyu feel at ease slightly. He was afraid that he was being a burden to the established group of friends and was intruding. 

As everyone took a seat, they began eating their food. Mingyu had to admit, the food was pretty good. He could eat this everyday. Piece after piece, he ate the perfectly cooked meat that was given in a considerable amount, and slurped the beef soup from the bowl. 

All of a sudden, a pair of chopsticks came to his view carrying a piece of meat. It landed on his bowl of rice. Looking up, Mingyu realised it was Minghao who had done it. 

"You looked like you love the meat... You were basically inhaling them," Minghao explained amusedly. 

"Ah," Mingyu sighed sheepishly. "Thanks." He quickly ate the piece gratefully. 

"No problem," the other shrugged with a smile.

" _Yah,_ why don't I get some of your meat?" Seokmin whined, only to get hit on the head with the back of Minghao's chopsticks.

"First of all, you eat too much meat already. Second of all, the poor boy looks skinny as heck it's worrying," Minghao spoke.

Everyone turned towards Mingyu.

"Nah, I don't think he's skinny. He looks like he has muscles though," Soonyoung replied, before slapping Mingyu in the stomach. "I mean, his stomach seems flat-- wait are these abs?" 

And so it began, Soonyoung and Seokmin just poking his abdomen and awing at the fact that Mingyu had abs. Occasionally, Mingyu would squirm as he felt ticklish.

" _Woah,_ how did you acquire muscles if you're not eating much protein?" Minghao spoke, slightly bewildered. He picked up his chopsticks and transferred some of his meat onto Mingyu's bowl. "Here, eat more."

Soonyoung stopped poking to turn to his friend. "Speak for yourself, Minghao. Your arms and legs are like noodles."

That earned him a slap at the back of his head, making the others laugh. 

Mingyu smiled slightly as he continued eating. How he missed being around friends. When he had left school all those years ago, he didn't leave much behind. He only had a few friends he just talked to and nothing more. With these bunch of boys, he felt as though he was welcomed. 

In between eating, the boys would struck a conversation with one another.

"So Mingyu," Hansol spoke, "What school were you in previously?"

The said boy took a sip of water. "Um... It was a private school."

Everyone ooh-ed. "So which school was it?"

Mingyu shifted in his seat. "Carat High."

Soonyoung and Seokmin's jaws dropped dramatically. 

"Dude, that's like a high-end private school!" Minghao explained. 

"Why did you even change schools?"

"Your parents must be rich. Wow, I have a rich friend!"

Mingyu grew uncomfortable at the last question. He felt embarrassed that in reality, he wasn't all that. The money used for his school fees back then were his parents-- his parents whom always had unrealistic high expectations of him and his siblings. His siblings delivered, however, although Mingyu didn't. 

He stayed silent and forced a grin, shoving a spoonful of rice into his mouth to avoid responding.

"Okay, okay, guys. Let's not get too excited," Minghao intercepted. "The important thing now is that Mingyu may join us from now on. I mean, if that's okay with you?"

The other was flustered. "I should be the one asking you that. I feel like I'm intruding..."

Seokmin waved his hand rapidly. "Don't think that way! We always welcome new friends to join us. Plus, you seem really nice too. We wouldn't have approached you if we thought you weren't," he explained with a huge grin.

Touched, Mingyu replied, "Ah, thanks guys. I really didn't think I could make friends here..."

"Well, you have us now," Minghao spoke.

*

When the final bell rung that day and everyone started packing their bags, Soonyoung walked towards Mingyu's table. 

"Hey, wanna hang out with us at the arcade today? We're gonna play some games and all," he invited.

Though touched, Mingyu knew he wasn't in a situation whereby he could spend money on such entertainment just yet. Furthermore, he promised to meet Seungcheol at the usual location after the former had things cleared out. 

Mingyu offered a smile. "Thanks, but I'm really sorry I can't join you today. I have some things I have to do tonight. Maybe I'll schedule a free day that I could hang out with you guys instead?"

"Oh, I see," his new friend replied, slightly dejected but still in a chirpy mood. "We'll hang out next time, then. Make sure you free the rest of the day!" 

Mingyu laughed, nodding. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow?" 

Soonyoung nodded. "Yup, sure, then."

Mingyu did in fact walked towards the school gates with his new friends, however, and they all started a small talk. 

"Well, guess we see you tomorrow then," Seokmin spoke. "Let's make sure we'll get to spend some time with you next time so we can get to know you better."

The other nodded. "Sure, I'll be sure to make some time for you guys. Thanks for making me feel welcomed on my first day."

With that, he bid goodbye to his friends as he parted ways.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was to introduce Mingyu's new school friends (because he deserves them), and of course I can't leave out Mingyu's actual best friend Minghao. ;) Notice how Mingyu acts around Wonwoo and how he acts around his new friends... yeah, I'm not sure where I'm going with this. Also, I may include Korean terms like "Hyung", but for food-wise if you notice, I'll mostly be using the English name, cuz spell check doesn't correct the romanization spelling of Korean words lmao.
> 
> I have quite a number of plots planned for this story, so be prepared if I end up not being able to update cuz of writer's block lol. I mean, I have the situations I want to add in down, but it's about how I put them in, y'know? I have a story in Wattpad that I based this fic off, if you're curious xP.
> 
> Also, I wanted to address this thing.. I know maybe to some Student/Teacher fics are inappropriate and things like that. But to me, that applies if the student is like 15 and the teacher is like way older. Now, that's just wrong, and I do see Wattpad stories like that. That's why I made Mingyu's character to be an adult, around 18 (or 19...? :o) and Wonwoo's age to be early 20s (which I haven't include in the story yet but yeah lol). And I made it so that Mingyu knew Wonwoo before becoming his student, and with the age thing, I think that this wouldn't be really inappropriate. Tell me your thoughts if you have anything to say about it.
> 
> In the next chapter, we'll get to see more Mingyu/Wonwoo interaction. ;)
> 
> *Not beta read whatsoever 
> 
> Also I kinda suck at characterization, I'm trying to learn lmao


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